Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-07
RAMBLEs IN JAPAN.
AN ARTIFICIAL RIVER COURSE
CONSTRUCTED 700 YEARS AGO.
and Uses of the Bamboo Plant
New Confidence Games,-Etc.
[RrconD- UNION Correspondence
KOBE. Japan, March 25, 1ss

[REcoRD UNION Correspondence
KOBE. Japan, March %, 1887.
1t would be difficult to find a better place
than Kobe, in which to pass pleasant days
of early spring in lazy saunterings. Though
Kobe lies somewhat further south than
Yokohama, it is little if any warmer than
its rival, owing to its remoteness from the
influences of the Black Stream, the warm
current which does for the East what the
Gulf Stream does for us. Kobe and its
neighbor, Hiogo, are really one and the
same, being separated only by the Minato
river. which is spanned by many bridges
AT present its course is bed of dry sand,
but the high entertainments tell what pre-
caution is necessary in the summer time;
either bank is bordered by rows of pine
trees which form a noticeable point in all
the views from the hills about. This river
course is artificial and was built about seven
hundred years ago, and some severe battles
of the olden time have been fought be-
tween its banks. Very near my
Japanese inn is the severely plain
Shinto temple of Ikuta. | do not care for
the building itself-in fact, | but gave it a
passing glance, for it is dwarfed and made
to seem mean by the magnificent grove of
trees in which it stands. The pines are
gnarled and angular, but the camphor
trees are the largest and glossiest leayed 7
have yet seen. The temple is dedicated to
that goddess who gave the world the loom.
A short way from the temple one passes up
broad street, bordered by lately-planted
fruit trees, which have most funereal look.
as the boxes which protect them are ali
made of charred wood. This fire blackeped
wood is much used in building here. On
this street is large bathing establishment.
for sulphur spring of great medicinal
value bubbles up warm and deliciously re-
freshing Beyond is seen the opening of
the gorge where
TEE wELL-KNowN E1Mo BIKI FALLS
Are ever ready to charm the visitor.
Climbing and turning precipitous point,
i find myself in the midst of lovely pic
ture. Across the canyon long line of ira
velers, slowly winding their way up the
hillside, give life to the scene; their white
and red blankets thrown over the shoulder,
the broad hats of yellow straw and the blue
of their cotton clothes show out well in the
gray grasses and deep green's of the crypt
emerias wee bit, red fox temple and tori
(arch), and a rice mill constant in its labor.
add each their mite to the loneliness. Not
less refreshing to eye and ear even in this
good setting is the waterfall, the lower one.
Me-daki an airy bridge crosses the stream
in the face of the fall The water drops
some forty feet over a precipitous wall.
which is robed in fringe of waving grass,
into the white, boiling disk formed about
its base, merging gradually into emerald
green in the middle pool and then into
nrncsaI bxy har &c
rolls over its gravelly bed beneath the
bridge away to the bay The upper
fall, which is about twice as nigh
as this, is reached by narrow,
steep path. Following it one
sees the course of the glittering stream
through the meadow now green with grain
stretching down to the white, dazzling
water, where hundreds of square sailed
junks float lazily in the MINDLESS morning.
Far away, as dim as clouds, seem the oppo-
site hills. The brown-thatched and black
tllcd roofs show among camphor trees and
hedges. Presently behind the hill a little
tea plantation comes in sight in terraces
and straight lines, each bush the size of its
neighbor, and closely trimmed Voices in
the tea-house above come down, and soon
having reached the divide, the roar of
O-dakl greets the ear, and the wild rayine
shows majestiealiy. Here are glimpses of
the bay, the city, and the foreign ships
with drying sails.
TWO WOMEN WITH HEAVY PACKS ON THEIR
SHOULDERS
Are standing enjoying the view. A short
climb up the path back of the American
Mission School brings one to the tea house
covered Suwa-yama, called by foreigners
Venus Hill, since the transit OF Venus was
observed here by the men sent out by
France for that purpose; a pillar, with in
scriptions and date, marks the spot. Be-
yond here, through the Hunters Gap, the
way leads to the temple built by Kobo
Daishi, and called Futatabai-san. 4 beau
tiful, solemn grove of cryptomerias sur
rounds it. A steep flight of steps passes
through the gateway, where two ugly Mo.
huge figures covered with spit-balls. stand
guard. A person writes his PRAYER and
chews it up, splitting the pulp at one Of
these figures. If the prayer sticks all is
well, il not, why try again
Returning to Kobe, the road or path
leads along the ridges of precipitous bills,
the sides of which, devoid of trees. have
been burned over for the benefit of the
new crop of grass on both sides can be
seen the bay, with its many villages, and
far away the inland sea with islands in
Vulnerable. To the Moon temple and re-
turn is hard tramp of three hours, and
instead of going there think the briefest
possible glance at few historical names
and one Or two dates will be of more i'm
portance. The first Emperor was Jimmu
who reigned about 900 B. G., and from that
date to the present there is line of un-
broken descent to Mutsuhito, the 123d SOW
ereigu. By unbroken decent I do not
mean that each Emperor was son of his
predecessor, but that each is descended
from Jimmu. The royal family has no
name, neither has the empire name;
WHATEVER Is GREAT IS NAMELEss.
The Mikados have less to do with public
affairs than the Shoguns or Generals who
held the actual though not nominal power
up to the war of 1868, when Keiki, chosen
head of the Tokugawa clan, after many
severe battles was forced to retire. Since
that date the Mikado has been the real and
nominal head. The event is spoken of as
the Restoration. Seven families have held
the highest position in the State, first the
Sugawara followed by the Fujiwara, Taira.
Mlnamoto, Hojo, Ashikaga and Tokugawa.
These families are still in existence Nobu-
maya is one of the greatest names in japan
csc history; though ruler in fact of the
whole country, he was not the generals
simo his daie is about the middle of the
sixteenth century. Hideyoshi, man of
no family at all, follows next in order and
then in the beginning of the seventeenth
century, Iyeyasu, with royal blood in his
veins, founded the family of Tokugawa.
His grandson, Iyemitsu, holds a position
almost as high as the founder of the fam.
lily. 1t would take book as big as the
Buddhist scriptures to contain the history
of these families, and to explain the nice
distinctions which mark the grades of posi-
ton held by the different officers. Nobu-
maya favored Christianity, but Iyeyasu COM
pletely, though after hard struggle, exter-
minated the faith, which had then been
known for a century.
The history seems to be but list of bat
ties, and the destruction of what had been
raised by the conquered enemy There are,
in consequence, not many ancient build
iDgs to be seen; their names are old, and
their foundations may date back for centu-
ries, but the superstructures, compared
with what Europe has to show, are quite
modern. For my part, there are enough
buildings already in the world, and if there
were never another put up. for one would
not care. find myself incapable of ap-
preciating beyond a certain point, and as
soon as my first hunger for sight seeing is
satisfied, everything after that like excuses
of all kinds, only produces headache and
WEAKNESS.
AMONG THE BAMBoos.